There are many needs for shoelaces of all types, such as hiking boots with long heavy duty laces and dress shoes with shorter thin laces and many types of shoes or skates or other equipment with laces of similar descriptions in between. Typical sneakers used for athletes and children are very popular around the world and most use laces that go through grommets/eyelets or similar load leveling devices (holes along the left and right side of the middle of the upper along the forefoot area) and are tied off after adjustment near the top of the foot. This set up is largely ubiquitous across all shoe types and across all countries of the world due to its simplicity, cost, and function. The typical shoe lace system has one serious weakness, as the normal Bowknot which is also known as the Around The Tree or Traditional Knot, or any one of the other common knots of which there are approximately eighteen common knots used in shoe lace tightening, is easily foiled, usually coming undone by itself (lack of firm closure on the knot), or by the users foot stepping on a loose end that was too long due to uneven tying, or due to other circumstances. There are several methods and apparatus on the market to overcome this major weakness of the traditional lace system. Some of the methods include “double knotting” which is a poor solution because the adult or child cannot easily untie the double knot when it comes time to remove the shoe. Other apparatus have been invented with poor results. Most require an “extra step” such as clipping a plastic or metal clip on the knot which can become detached and lost and which detracts from the attractive design of the product, or tucking the laces into special holders sewn into the shoe or other methods, all which are either inadequate or require a behavioral change and additional training.
Some sneakers and shoes specifically targeted to the very young and old and infirm use “Velcro” type hook and loop fasteners to overcome the users' inability or inconvenience of tying a knot in a traditional lace. These shoes use a “Velcro” brand or other brand of “hook and loop” quick fastener instead of traditional laces on the fore foot. This type of fastening system is typically provided in single (small shoes) or double (most others) straps that traverse across the forefoot area in a flap configuration which allows for quick and easy “release” and “tighten” actions, even allowing for one handed release and tighten. These hook and loop straps are useful for their intended purpose, however their unsightly design is unacceptable for designers and style conscious designers and is unacceptable for athletes who need even lacing tension afforded by the traditional lacing set up. Furthermore it is not good for a child to rely on the hook and loop fastener as the child grows up because eventually there will be shoes that do not offer that type of closure system and the child must learn to tie a proper knot.
The typical shoes with its laces going through 2 to 7 or more pairs of opposing grommets for supportive lacing are the most common type worldwide and are generally more anatomically and physically supportive than a sandal, beach flip-flop or canvas casual shoe, and yet less supportive than a heavy duty hiking boot or skate-boot. These supportive shoes are especially necessary for older people who may have become slightly unsteady on their feet and/or wish to avoid stumbling on a pebble or other obstacle and utilize high quality supportive foot wear with even lacing and good high traction soles as an enabler for a more active lifestyle well into the senior years. Likewise toddlers just learning to walk and young adults alike have such active lifestyles with day care, camps, team sports and other activities that require adequate support for their growing feet which is in part provided by the traditional lacing system and adequate traction and support to prevent injury. Likewise various athletes, such as runners, bikers, soccer and the like require specialized high support high cushion athletic footwear which often includes low friction rings as grommets to allow the shoe upper to be tightened around the forefoot for support, and yet flex and give and take tension supplied by the lace during use, which also is best served by a traditional lace system but one that is augmented so as to not inadvertently untie during a critical sporting moment. Ironically, a sport that requires high quality high support footwear is the Triathlete, who starts out swimming with no shoes, but when transitioning from swimming to bicycling to running they require adequate footwear. In order to ease the transition between shoe-less to shoed, the triathletes perform all sorts of practice and rituals, such as lining shoes with silk socks to ease transition of wet feet into the shoe, to reduce the transition time from shoeless swimming to shoed bicycling and running. Once the shoe is on, they quickly tie it and go. The triathlete can be injured or lose valuable time if either shoe becomes untied during the sport, however there is little time to properly tie the shoelace and often wet or hurried hands tie a poor knot which comes undone.
These various people groups and more all require supportive cushioning footwear with a traditional lace system, but also need the laces to remain tied throughout the normal daily activities without the stress and worry of the laces becoming untied inadvertently. Additionally, young people such as a 9 year old child typically exhibits laziness with shoe adornment behavior which is most typically the act of shoving the foot into an unprepared shoe with a tied forefoot due to a double or triple tie knot which is too difficult to untie. The shoe is quickly damaged because the foot is forced on while the laces are still tied, often with the inner support material of the heel counter being crushed thereby ceasing to provide support, ceasing to fit and align properly around the heel and ankle due to malformation.
The elderly exhibit nearly the same problems as the child, but not out of laziness or inability to understand, but due to body stiffness and lack of agility that comes with age they often have trouble tying and untying, and can become frustrated or put in peril if a shoe becomes untied at an inopportune time. Many elderly get help tying laces in the morning and rely on those laces staying tied all day long, however they are often completely unable to untie a double knot if one is used.
Therefore, there is a need for shoelaces which can be tied using a traditional knot but with increased assurance that the traditional knot (with no doubling) will stay knotted securely unless untied by the user.